AT&T can trace its origin back to de originaw Beww Tewephone Company founded by Awexander Graham Beww after his invention of de tewephone.[10] One of dat company's subsidiaries was American Tewephone and Tewegraph Company (AT&T), estabwished in 1885,[11] which acqwired de Beww Company on December 31, 1899, for wegaw reasons, weaving AT&T as de main company. AT&T estabwished a network of subsidiaries in de United States and Canada dat hewd a government-audorized phone service monopowy, formawized wif de Kingsbury Commitment, droughout most of de twentief century. This monopowy was known as de Beww System,[12] and during dis period, AT&T was awso known by de nickname Ma Beww.[13] For periods of time, de former AT&T was de worwd's wargest phone company.

In 1982, U.S. reguwators broke up de AT&T monopowy, reqwiring AT&T to divest its regionaw subsidiaries and turning dem each into individuaw companies. These new companies were known as Regionaw Beww Operating Companies, or more informawwy, Baby Bewws.[14] AT&T continued to operate wong distance services, but as a resuwt of dis breakup, faced competition from new competitors such as MCI and Sprint.

Soudwestern Beww was one of de companies created by de breakup of AT&T Corp. The architect of divestiture for Soudwestern Beww was Robert G. Pope. The company soon started a series of acqwisitions. This incwudes de 1987 acqwisition of Metromedia mobiwe business and de acqwisition of severaw cabwe companies in de earwy 1990s. In de water hawf of de 1990s, de company acqwired severaw oder tewecommunications companies, incwuding some Baby Bewws, whiwe sewwing its cabwe business. During dis time, de company changed its name to SBC Communications. By 1998, de company was in de top 15 of de Fortune 500, and by 1999 de company was part of de Dow Jones Industriaw Average (wasting drough 2015).

In 2005, SBC purchased AT&T for $16 biwwion, uh-hah-hah-hah. After dis purchase, SBC adopted de better-known AT&T name and brand, wif de originaw AT&T Corp. stiww existing as de wong-distance wandwine subsidiary of de merged company. The current AT&T cwaims de originaw AT&T Corp.'s history (dating to 1885) as its own, dough its corporate structure onwy dates from 1983.[15] It awso retains SBC's pre-2005 stock price history, and aww reguwatory fiwings prior to 2005 are for Soudwestern Beww/SBC, not AT&T Corp.

On Juwy 13, 2017, it was reported dat AT&T is going to introduce a cwoud-based DVR streaming service as part of its effort to create a unified pwatform across DirecTV and its DirecTV Now streaming service, wif U-verse to be added soon, uh-hah-hah-hah.[33][34][35]

On September 12, 2017, it was reported dat AT&T is pwanning to waunch a brand new cabwe TV-wike service for dewivery over-de-top over its own or a competitor's broadband network sometime next year.[36]

As of December 15, 2017, after an unsuccessfuw settwement attempt wif de Department of Justice, some anawysts bewieve de merger deaw to have fawwen drough. However, dis cannot be confirmed untiw eider de antitrust triaw compwetes in earwy Apriw 2018, or eider company announces de faiwure of de merger.[40] However, on December 22, 2017, bof companies extended de merger untiw June 21, 2018 in a big vote of confidence.[41]

As of 2017, AT&T is de worwd's wargest tewecommunications company.[42] AT&T is awso de second wargest provider of mobiwe tewephone services and de wargest provider of fixed tewephone services in de United States.[43]

AT&T stated dat it wouwd decware de intentions for its ruraw wandwines on November 7, 2012.[46] AT&T had previouswy announced dat it was considering a sawe of its ruraw wandwines, which are not wired for AT&T's U-verse service; however, it has awso stated dat it may keep de business after aww.

On October 25, 2014, Frontier Communications took over controw of de AT&T wandwine network in Connecticut after being approved by state utiwity reguwators. The deaw was worf about $2 biwwion, and incwuded Frontier inheriting about 2,500 of AT&T's empwoyees and many of AT&T's buiwdings.[47]

This section needs expansion. You can hewp by adding to it.(November 2016)

The company is headqwartered at Whitacre Tower in downtown Dawwas, Texas.[8] On June 27, 2008, AT&T announced dat it wouwd move its corporate headqwarters from downtown San Antonio to One AT&T Pwaza in downtown Dawwas.[8][49] The company said dat it moved to gain better access to its customers and operations droughout de worwd, and to de key technowogy partners, suppwiers, innovation and human resources needed as it continues to grow, domesticawwy and internationawwy.[50] AT&T Inc. previouswy rewocated its corporate headqwarters to San Antonio from St. Louis, Missouri, in 1992, when it was den named Soudwestern Beww Corporation, uh-hah-hah-hah. The company's Tewecom Operations group, which serves residentiaw and regionaw business customers in 22 U.S. states, remains in San Antonio.[citation needed] Atwanta, Georgia, continues to be de headqwarters for AT&T Mobiwity, wif significant offices in Redmond, Washington, de former home of AT&T Wirewess. Bedminster, New Jersey, is de headqwarters for de company's Gwobaw Business Services group and AT&T Labs. St. Louis continues as home to de company's Directory operations, AT&T Advertising Sowutions.[51]

AT&T offers awso services in many wocations droughout de Asia Pacific; its regionaw headqwarters is wocated in Hong Kong.[52] The company is awso active in Mexico, and it was announced on November 7, 2014, dat Mexican carrier Iusaceww is being acqwired by AT&T.[18] The acqwisition was approved in January 2015.[citation needed][53][54] On Apriw 30, 2015, AT&T acqwired wirewess operations Nextew Mexico from NII Howdings (now AT&T Mexico).[55]

During de period of 1998 to 2010, de company expended US$130 miwwion on wobbying in de United States.[59] A key powiticaw issue for AT&T has been de qwestion of which businesses win de right to profit by providing broadband internet access in de United States.[68] The company has awso wobbied in support of severaw federaw biwws. AT&T supported de Federaw Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 3675; 113f Congress), a biww dat wouwd make a number of changes to procedures dat de U.S. Federaw Communications Commission (FCC) fowwows in its ruwemaking processes.[69] The FCC wouwd have to act in a more transparent way as a resuwt of dis biww, forced to accept pubwic input about reguwations.[70] AT&T's Executive Vice President of Federaw Rewations, Tim McKone, said dat de biww's "much needed institutionaw reforms wiww hewp arm de agency wif de toows to keep pace wif de Internet speed of today's marketpwace. It wiww awso ensure dat outmoded reguwatory practices for today's competitive marketpwace are properwy pwaced in de dustbin of history."[71]

The financiaw performance of de company is reported to sharehowders on an annuaw basis and a matter of pubwic record. The unit (except where noted) is biwwions of US dowwars. Where performance has been restated, de most recent statement of performance from an annuaw report is used.[72][73][74][75]

In September 2007, AT&T changed its wegaw powicy to state dat "AT&T may immediatewy terminate or suspend aww or a portion of your Service,[76] any Member ID, ewectronic maiw address, IP address, Universaw Resource Locator or domain name used by you, widout notice for conduct dat AT&T bewieves ... (c) tends to damage de name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiwiates and subsidiaries."[77] By October 10, 2007, AT&T had awtered de terms and conditions for its Internet service to expwicitwy support freedom of expression by its subscribers, after an outcry cwaiming de company had given itsewf de right to censor its subscribers' transmissions.[78] Section 5.1 of AT&T's new terms of service now reads "AT&T respects freedom of expression and bewieves it is a foundation of our free society to express differing points of view. AT&T wiww not terminate, disconnect or suspend service because of de views you or we express on pubwic powicy matters, powiticaw issues or powiticaw campaigns."[79]

In Juwy 2006, de United States District Court for de Nordern District of Cawifornia – in which de suit was fiwed – rejected a federaw government motion to dismiss de case. The motion to dismiss, which invoked de State Secrets Priviwege, had argued dat any court review of de awweged partnership between de federaw government and AT&T wouwd harm nationaw security. The case was immediatewy appeawed to de Ninf Circuit. It was dismissed on June 3, 2009, citing retroactive wegiswation in de Foreign Intewwigence Surveiwwance Act.[citation needed][84]

In May 2006, USA Today reported dat aww internationaw and domestic cawwing records had been handed over to de Nationaw Security Agency by AT&T, Verizon, SBC, and BewwSouf for de purpose of creating a massive cawwing database.[85] The portions of de new AT&T dat had been part of SBC Communications before November 18, 2005, were not mentioned.

On June 21, 2006, de San Francisco Chronicwe reported dat AT&T had rewritten ruwes on its privacy powicy. The powicy, which took effect June 23, 2006, says dat "AT&T – not customers – owns customers' confidentiaw info and can use it 'to protect its wegitimate business interests, safeguard oders, or respond to wegaw process.'"[86]

On August 22, 2007, Nationaw Intewwigence Director Mike McConneww confirmed dat AT&T was one of de tewecommunications companies dat assisted wif de government's warrantwess wire-tapping program on cawws between foreign and domestic sources.[87]

On November 8, 2007, Mark Kwein, a former AT&T technician, towd Keif Owbermann of MSNBC dat aww Internet traffic passing over AT&T wines was copied into a wocked room at de company's San Francisco office – to which onwy empwoyees wif Nationaw Security Agency cwearance had access.[88]

AT&T keeps for five to seven years a record of who text messages whom and de date and time, but not de content of de messages.[89]

In January 2008, de company reported pwans to begin fiwtering aww Internet traffic which passes drough its network for intewwectuaw property viowations.[90] Commentators in de media have specuwated dat if dis pwan is impwemented, it wouwd wead to a mass exodus of subscribers weaving AT&T,[91] awdough dis is misweading as Internet traffic may go drough de company's network anyway.[90] Internet freedom proponents used dese devewopments as justification for government-mandated network neutrawity.

According to Barbara Popovic, Executive Director of de Chicago pubwic-access service CAN-TV, de new AT&T U-verse system forces aww Pubwic-access tewevision into a speciaw menu system, denying normaw functionawity such as channew numbers, access to de standard program guide, and DVR recording.[92] The Ratepayer Advocates division of de Cawifornia Pubwic Utiwities Commission reported: "Instead of putting de stations on individuaw channews, AT&T has bundwed community stations into a generic channew dat can onwy be navigated drough a compwex and wengdy process."[92]

Sue Buske (president of tewecommunications consuwting firm de Buske Group and a former head of de Nationaw Federation of Locaw Cabwe Programmers/Awwiance for Community Media) argue dat dis is "an overaww attack [...] on pubwic access across de [United States], de pwace in de diaw around cities and communities where peopwe can make deir own media in deir own communities".[92]

In June 2010, a hacker group known as Goatse Security discovered a vuwnerabiwity widin AT&T dat couwd awwow anyone to uncover emaiw addresses bewonging to customers of AT&T 3G service for de AppweiPad.[93] These emaiw addresses couwd be accessed widout a protective password.[94] Using a script, Goatse Security cowwected dousands of emaiw addresses from AT&T.[93] Goatse Security informed AT&T about de security fwaw drough a dird party.[95] Goatse Security den discwosed around 114,000 of dese emaiws to Gawker Media, which pubwished an articwe about de security fwaw and discwosure in Vawweywag.[93][95] Praetorian Security Group criticized de web appwication dat Goatse Security expwoited as "poorwy designed".[93]

In Apriw 2015, AT&T was fined $25m over data security breaches, marking de wargest ever fine issued by de Federaw Communications Commission (FCC) for breaking data privacy waws. The investigation reveawed de deft of detaiws of approximatewy 280,000 peopwe from caww centres in Mexico, Cowombia and de Phiwippines.[96]

In March 2012, de United States federaw government announced a wawsuit against AT&T. The specific accusations state dat AT&T "viowated de Fawse Cwaims Act by faciwitating and seeking federaw payment for IP Reway cawws by internationaw cawwers who were inewigibwe for de service and sought to use it for frauduwent purposes. The compwaint awweges dat, out of fears dat frauduwent caww vowume wouwd drop after de registration deadwine, AT&T knowingwy adopted a non-compwiant registration system dat did not verify wheder de user was wocated widin de United States. The compwaint furder contends dat AT&T continued to empwoy dis system even wif de knowwedge dat it faciwitated use of IP Reway by frauduwent foreign cawwers, which accounted for up to 95 percent of AT&T's caww vowume. The government's compwaint awweges dat AT&T improperwy biwwed de TRS Fund for reimbursement of dese cawws and received miwwions of dowwars in federaw payments as a resuwt."[97]

On Apriw 28, 2015, AT&T announced dat it had fired Aaron Swator, President of Content and Advertising Sawes, for sending racist text messages.[98] Swator was awso hit wif a $100 miwwion discrimination wawsuit, fiwed by African-American empwoyee Knoyme King.[99] The day before dat, protesters arrived at AT&T's headqwarters in Dawwas and its satewwite offices in Los Angewes as weww as at de home of CEO Randaww Stephenson to protest awweged systemic raciaw powicies. According to accounts, de protesters are demanding AT&T begin working wif 100% bwack-owned media companies.[100]

In June 2016, Citigroup sued AT&T for trademark infringement, fawse designation of origin, and unfair competition. The company had recentwy estabwished a woyawty program under de brand AT&T Thanks, which Citigroup cwaims wouwd cause consumer confusion as an infringement of its "ThankYou" and "Citi ThankYou" marks due to simiwar wording and visuaw design, uh-hah-hah-hah. Citi, which awso provides a co-branded credit card for AT&T dat winks wif its ThankYou rewards program, sought unspecified damages and de expungement of AT&T's trademark registration, uh-hah-hah-hah.[101][102]

The suit was dismissed in August 2016, wif a judge ruwing dat dere was a wow wikewihood of confusion between de two marks because de companies faww widin different industries, and dat consumers who use woyawty programs wouwd be abwe to "cwearwy take into account de attributes associated wif de products dey purchase" and, dus, be abwe to distinguish dem.[103]

^"Document Shows How Phone Cos. Treat Private Data". Associated Press. September 29, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2011. T-Mobiwe USA doesn't keep any information on Web browsing activity. Verizon, on de oder hand, keeps some information for up to a year dat can be used to ascertain if a particuwar phone visited a particuwar Web site. According to de sheet, Sprint Nextew Corp.'s Virgin Mobiwe brand keeps de text content of text messages for dree monds. Verizon keeps it for dree to five days. None of de oder carriers keep texts at aww, but dey keep records of who texted who for more dan a year. The document says AT&T keeps for five to seven years a record of who text messages who —and when, but not de content of de messages. Virgin Mobiwe onwy keeps dat data for two to dree monds.